Even if the world finds you at Mountain Home, it can’t reach you. At 1,000 feet above Leavenworth, snow and ice make the seemingly vertical road to this 30-year-old resort impassable in winter. The only way up is aboard the lodge’s snowcat. But isolation has its rewards: breath-stealing views of the valley and Stuart Range, plus 30 miles of out-your-front-door ski and snowshoe trails, and three meals a day served beside the 10-room lodge’s cracklin’ wood fire. mthome.com; from $350 (includes meals and rentals) Book It! Get even farther away with one of Mountain Home’s two cabins, stand-alone sanctuaries that command the same unbelievable views.

Nothing says hideaway like a locked gate—especially the high-tech kind that guards House on Metolius. For 50 years, this seven-room sanctuary above the Metolius River has been an invite-only affair. While cabins southwest of the main house were available for stays, the house remained the domain of the Lundgren-Zehntbauer family (of Jantzen Mills fame). But this spring the owners welcomed the rest of us into the clan. Situated near Camp Sherman, House on Metolius combines 1950s architectural detail with the beauty of Central Oregon. Pines flank the house, their scent mingling with that of a wood fire sizzling and popping in the living room, while in a clearing below, the Metolius snakes along, beckoning fly fishermen, painters, and winter wanderers. And since cell service is spotty here, you can remain blissfully unplugged as long as you’re locked away. metolius.com; from $149Book It! Pick Room 4 or 5 for better views of the river (but only slightly).

Eagle Rock Lodge | Vida

Halfway between somewheres (Eugene and Bend), Eagle Rock Lodge is a beautiful kind of nowhere. Snuggled in a forest of cedar and maple on the banks of the McKenzie River, the historic lodge is a summertime fly-fishing mecca. But in the winter, it’s the purest form of escape for those who love the Willamette National Forest’s soft green mosses. Curl up by the fire with a Zane Grey novel, prop open a window, and savor the soundtrack of rushing river and wind whispering through trees.eaglerocklodge.com; from $225Book It! The Fireplace Suite’s hearth was part of the original 1947 structure.

Fourteen miles from the nearest sizable town, Brasada offers a high-desert hideout with benefits. The gated golf community was sold to Northview Hotel Group in 2010, and the new owners invested more than $3.5 million in resort improvements. A renovated restaurant and guesthouse, new spa, steam room, outdoor hot tub, and kid-friendly “Hideout” (complete with Ping-Pong, air hockey, and climbing wall) mean you’ll never have to leave this island of Central Oregon pleasure. That way there’s no danger of missing the resort’s most impressive asset: the unbelievable sunset panorama, an amber-hued swatch of juniper and sagebrush stretching up against the feet of snowcapped Bachelor, Broken Top, Black Butte, and the Three Sisters. brasada.com; from $169Book It!The second-story suites are the only lodge rooms with soaking tubs.

Lakedale Resort | San Juan Island, Wash.

Lakedale’s 10 lodge rooms and private cabins aren’t just on an island; they’re on the farthest San Juan island accessible by Washington State Ferries. If the two-hour ride from Anacortes doesn’t feel far enough, you’ve got 82 waterfront acres to get lost in. Or escape into a book next to your choice of fireplaces: a huge slate one in the Main Lodge or your own gas version in the lodge rooms and log cabins. lakedale.com; from $149 Book It! Want a wood fireplace? Find it in the three-bedroom Lake House.

From 1938 to 1970, the gravel bar near today’s Eagle Rock Lodge (West’s Bar) hosted an annual procession of wooden boats dubbed the White Water Parade. By 1970, more than 30,000 spectators turned out to see hundreds of boats and who would be crowned White Water Queen. An accidental drowning (supposedly due to alcohol) put the kibosh on the whole affair until 2004, when Eagle Rock Lodge owners reinstated the festival, albeit on a smaller—and more sober—scale.

BY THE FIRE

Portland author Emily Chenoweth sometimes describes her novel Hello Goodbye, which chronicles a family’s search for love while on vacation, as “Dirty Dancing meets On Death and Dying.” To find some literary love of your own, Chenoweth suggests throwing these local titles in your suitcase (complete with fireside pairings).

Glaciers by Alexis Smith A bittersweet tale of a Portland thrifter’s search for beauty, love, and the perfect vintage dress. It can be read in one sitting, after which you can stare wistfully into the fire. A good inexpensive red.

Goodbye to the Nervous Apprehension by Michael Heald Remember what it was like to be young, ambitious, arty, and confused? It’s OK if you don’t, because Heald’s funny, sharp-eyed essay collection will remind you. Beer, of course.

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